German Empire/Parties
The German Empire is a federal semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by the German Kaiser (who is also King of Prussia). Although Germany has many political parties, its state policies remain rather authoritarian, and the Constitution of the Second German Reich has stood in place for 60 years. The Chancellor and Government are appointed by the Kaiser, but legislation needs to be approved by the Reichstag, a chamber elected proportionally by universal male suffrage, and the Bundesrat, consisting of representatives from each of the states, chosen by their state governments. While the Reichstag is far from a rubber-stamp institution, and has become increasingly vocal and assertive over the past thirty years, it is not yet strong enough that it can actually bring down a Government. The relative weakness of the Reichstag has meant that a wide range of political activist pressure groups have sprung up, attempting to push forward a range of economic, political and sectional causes. In addition, the various states of the Reich have considerable autonomy and influence over local matters, including education, law enforcement and arts patronage. While many of the smaller states have extremely liberal constitutions, the unequal Estate-based electoral system for the Prussian Landtag remains a bone of contention. Despite its authoritarian nature, the German political system is favorable to multiparty politics; each party represents some part of the Kaiserreich's general population, and in these troubled times, each one can appeal to the common citizen and gain power. The current Reichstag is ruled by a Ständischer Verbund majority, with confidence in the Kaiser's leadership. Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands Created on May, 23 1863, the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) is the oldest party in Germany and among the most powerful leftist parties in non-syndicalist Europe. First countered by the social welfare reforms of Bismarck, the socialists, divided between pro-Revolution and democrats, increased its influence within the Reichstag, becoming the strongest party in 1912, on the eve of the Weltkrieg. The conflict and immediate post war period irrevocably divided the German socialists between rallying the fight for the fatherland or betraying the Kaiserreich which was crushing their Bolshevik brothers in Russia and isolating their Syndicalist fellows in France. With the death of Friedrich Ebert in 1925, the true social-democrats lose control within the SPD, which was itself losing the vote of the lower classes, too happy with the successes of the Mitteleuropean system or voting for the Social Democrats. Under the leadership of Karl Kautsky, the SPD is trying for a more moderate approach, in order to maintain some political power, while the Spartakusbund is following the French model to try to rally all German workers, and other fellow socialists and Marxists, to their cause of bringing the Bolshevik experience to the country which saw the birth of Karl Marx. The SPD's voter block is mostly among the lower classes and the industrial areas, but some analysts are finding more and more voters in Elsass-Lothringen, as the proximity with Commune of France is creating a potent, and dangerous, mix between French nationalism and Marxist ideals. Main members: Chairman: Karl Kautsky, editor of the fourth volume of Karl Marx's Das Kapital, leading promulgator of marxism since Engels' death. Born on October, 16 1854 Representative at the Reichstag: Otto Wels Representants of the different wings: Democratic SPD (Ebertists): Hans Vogel, Arthur Crispien, Kurt Schumacher, Gustav Noske, Gustav Bauer, Conrad Patzig, Erich Ollenhauer, Eugen Gerstenmaier, Georg August Zinn, Hans Speidel, Josef Kammhuber Syndicalist SPD (Spartakusbund): Karl Liebknecht, Kurt Eisner, Bertolt Brecht, Paul Levi, Andres Hermes, Anton Ackermann, Franz Nowak, Jakob Kaiser, Otto Korfes, Otto Nuschke, Walter Freytag Bolshevik SPD (Marxist-Leninists): Ernst Thälmann, Ernst Toller, Ludwig Renn, Walter Ulbricht, Albert Kuntz, Erich Mielke, Ernst Wollweber, Georg Derlinger, Helmet Herzfelde, Julius Leber, Karl Steinhoff, Wilhelm Pieck, Willi Stoph Fortschrittliche Volkspartei Created on March, 6 1910, the FVP (Progressive People's Party) claims liberal democracy as it existed in Western Europe before the Weltkrieg, criticizing the authoritarian rule of the Prussian Junkers and advocating for more freedom and true democracy, without any revolution, opposing the ruling wing of the SPD. Unfortunately, this soft program has failed to find support among democrat intellectuals, who are mostly republicans, and most of the average German citizenry, who are too happy with the dictatorial regime that has brought them increased prosperity and welfare. Thus, the Progressives remain an anecdotal party in Germany. Main members: Chairman: Walther von Rathenau, wealthy industrialist of Jewish ancestry, ennobled by the Kaiser for his part in the German saving of Austro-Hungarian industry in the late 20's. Born on September 29, 1867. Representative at the Reichstag: Wilhelm Külz, born on February 18, 1875. Other members: Otto Gessler, Theodor Heuss, Hans Dohnanyi, Albert Einstein, Wilhelm Roepke, Franz Blücher, Franz Etzel, Gustav Heinemann, Hans Seidel, Hans Gisevius, Heinrich von Brentano, Heinz Starke, Josef Kammhuber, Reinhold Maier, Thomas Dehler Deutsche Zentrumspartei Created on December, 13 1870, Zentrum (German Centre Party) represents the interests of the German Catholics (still influential in Southern Germany) and is sometimes described as the classical opposition against militarist Prussia in favor of rural Bavaria, the true protectors of traditionalism, or Vatican agents, depending on the one who is describing it. Claiming to have been martyred by Berlin during the Kulturkampf, the Catholics are rather suspicious towards the decisions of the Prussian protestant ministers, even if they are as conservative as them. With the effective control of the Church on Northern Italy, many paranoid politicians are fearing an alliance between the rulers of Rome and an extremist Zentrum, especially if a German-speaking pope like Innitzer is elected; others fear that Zentrum could act as a potential ally for Austrian interests within their German big brother. The Centrist vote is firmly established in both the Rhineland and Bavaria, while it's almost non-existant in Eastern and Northern Germany. Main members: Chairman: Ludwig Kaas, Rhenish priest, former advisor to Eugenio Pacelli (current Secretary of State of Italian Federation). Born on May, 23 1881. Representative at the Reichstag: Heinrich Brüning. Born on November, 26 1885. Other members: Konrad Adenauer, Adam Stegerwald, Franz Josef Strauss, Fritz Schäffer, Hans Ehard, Josef Wirmer, Karl Arnold, Karl Heinrich Lübke, Ludwig Erhard, Robert Lehr Nationalliberale Partei Created in 1867, the NLP (National Liberal Party) was first created by liberal politicians who put aside their differences of point of view with Bismarck to share his foreign policy successes: after Bismarck's rupture from the liberals, they eventually supported Admiral von Tirpitz's Fleet Acts in 1898, enhancing the arms race with the British Empire. The party became more and more conservative with the time, splitting decisively with the other liberals who were rallying around the SPD. Massively supporting the Imperial government during the Weltkrieg, the National-Liberals, led by their chairman Gustav Stresemann, also supported the constitution of the Mitteleuropa system and the protectionist policies of the Tirpitz Chancellorship, even if they continued to claim want more democracy and call for a stronger parliamentarian government. After Stresemann's death in 1929, they are now led by Generalfeldmarschall von Lettow-Vorbeck, who has become a great figurehead in German politics after his entry into the German political scene following his retirement from the Army. The NLP is considered a cross section of all political positions in Germany not represented by the other parties, such as strong liberalism, soft nationalism, militarists and even republicans, who are recognized in the party's program, which focuses on both democracy and conservatism. The charismatic Field Marshal von Lettow-Vorbeck gives his party a lot of his prestige due to his sterling war record. Main members: Chairman: Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, undefeated general during the African campaigns of the Weltkrieg, Generalfeldmarschall and former Statthalter of Freistaat Mittelafrika Born on March, 20 1870. Representative at the Reichstag: Count Johann Ludwig Schwerin von Krosigk. Born on August, 22 1887. Other members: Oskar Meissner, Ludwig Fulda, Albert Dufour-Feronce, Constantin von Neurath, Ludwig Kastl, Carl Melchior, Franz Gürtner, Franz Seldte, Wilhelm Waetzoldt, Hans Heinrich Lammers, Julius Curtius, Julius Ringel, Wilhelm Oxenius Alldeutsche Verband Created in 1922, the AV '(''Pan-German League) is seen as the political unification of the main pre-Weltkrieg Völkisch movements, the popular and ultra nationalist movements urging for the Grossdeutschland Losung (Greater German Solution), or the unification of all the German-speaking peoples in Europe, Austria and Sudetenland in particular. Prior to the Weltkrieg, the Völkisch movement was only seen as a bunch of fanatical nationalists, virulent anti-Semites and weird mystics obsessed with manly Vikings, such as the Runosophists of Guido von List, the Thule Society or the Alldeutscher Verbung which counted newspaper tycoon Alfred Hugenberg among its ranks. But after the Munich Congress of 1923, Oberleutnant Ernst Röhm took the title of chairman of the Pan-Germanist Party and managed to give it a respectable image, forging an alliance with the left wing of the Party led by Gregor Strasser. With his efforts, the AV managed to retain several seats within the Reichstag at the last elections and saw several of its members take political office, such as Hermann Göring in Mittelafrika. With his anti-syndicalist program, strangely mixed with socialist economical views and antisemitism, the AV is beating the SPD in its key demographic: the average German citizen. With the Austro-Hungarian economical crisis of the late 20's and the ethnic struggles in the Baltic States, the local sections of the AV in these countries are growing and seeking union with Germany. The party even has a member of the Imperial family in its ranks: the fourth son of the Kaiser, August Wilhelm von Hohenzollern. The announcement of his membership was one of the worst scandals in post-Weltkrieg Germany. '''Main members: Chairman: Ernst Julius Röhm, Oberleutnant of Bavarian army, former military advisor in Bolivia. Born on November, 28 1887. Representative at the Reichstag: Gregor Strasser. Born on May, 31 1892. Other members: Prince August Wilhelm von Hohenzollern, Otto Strasser, Franz Xaver Ritter von Epp, Hans Frank, Rudolf Hess, Fritz Todt, Roland Freisler, Baldur von Schirach, Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Keitel, Werner Naumann, Walter von Reichenau, Walter Buch, Rudolf Diels, Paul Giesler, Konstantin Hierl, Karl Hanke, Hugo Sperrle, Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Hans Krebs, Ferdinand Schörner, Arthur Axmann Deutschkonservative Partei The old Prussian landed nobility still leads every aspect of German political life. The DKP (German Conservative Party), has been their main party since 1876. Now, united with Tirpitz's Deutschnationale Volkspartei (DNVP, German National People's Party) and in alliance with Hugenberg's Deutsche Volkspartei (DVP, German People's Party), the party still has Germany in its grip. The victory of the Reich during the Weltkrieg definitely proved in the eyes of the German people that the Junker-led government and military was the best way to bring Germany to victory, and power is still monopolized by the monarchist, reactionary and wealthy minority, relatively unaware of the rising discontent in the working classes. The Kaiser himself, conscious of his old age, is trying to maintain his own vision for Germany going forward by appointing independent Reichskanzlers extracted from the aristocracy, in order to keep the Imperial Government above the parties. Main members: Chairman: Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen, former Zentrum politician and Reichskanzler since 1934. Born on October, 29 1879. Representative at the Reichstag: Carl Friedrich Goerdeler. Born on July, 31 1884. Other members: Friedrich-Werner von der Schulenberg, Manfred von Richthofen, Kurt von Schleicher, Oskar von Hindenburg, Wilhelm von Gayl, Walter von Brauchitsch, Walter von Lüttwitz, Hjalmar Schacht, Ulrich von Hassel, Hans von Blumenthal, Helmuth von Moltke, Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff